Global Health

By the end of Angola’s civil war in 2002, as many as 1 million Angolans had died, 4.5 million were internally displaced, and another 450,000 had fled the country.The decimation of infrastructure and public services during the war created serious development challenges, particularly, poor public health.

Child and maternal mortality rates are among the highest in the world: almost 1 in 5 children dies before his fifth birthday, and the maternal mortality rate is 610 per 100,000 live births. A high fertility rate of 5.8 births per woman places pressure on an already struggling health system to keep up with the growing population’s needs. Malaria is widespread—and the number one killer of children. However, HIV/AIDS rates are relatively low, presenting an opportunity to avert the devastating consequences of widespread disease seen in other southern African countries.

U.S. assistance is targeted toward major improvements in health through sustainable approaches and increased country ownership. We have partnered with the Government of Angola and other stakeholders to support the development of an integrated, comprehensive, and sustainable health system and a strong workforce capable of providing quality health services to all Angolans.

HIV/AIDS

Through President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the U.S. government is building partnerships to support orphans and vulnerable children and provide integrated prevention, care, and treatment programs throughout the country.

Malaria

Angola was selected as one of the first three countries to participate in the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), which has helped to reduce malaria-related mortality by 50 percent through spraying, the provision of bed nets, and the distribution of malaria treatments.

Malaria deaths in Angola have decreased by 80 percent from 8,670 in 2008 to 1,759 in 2014, in the eight provinces that PMI supports.

Maternal and Child Health

We assist the Angolan Ministry of Health in achieving better health for mothers and children through polio surveillance, routine immunizations, and nationwide health campaigns.

Angola's first national measles-polio-vitamin A campaign in 2014 resulted in 7,772,946 child immunizations, a 96 percent coverage rate (WHO).

Family Planning and Reproductive Health

We are strengthening health systems that provide access to high-quality voluntary family planning services and information and reproductive health care on a sustainable basis. We support training for health care workers on providing long-term family planning methods. We also support the purchase of contraceptives and provide logistical help to the Angola Ministry of Health to achieve secure contraceptive supply chains. The use of modern contraceptives in Luanda has doubled, from 57,000 in 2011 to 115,075 in 2014.